


The Well is Full of Pennies

by visionshadows



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-09
Updated: 2008-03-09
Packaged: 2017-10-19 23:19:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/206314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/visionshadows/pseuds/visionshadows





	The Well is Full of Pennies

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Well is Full of Pennies  
  
  
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The rain was making it so hard to see, the streetlights making everything shimmer and reflect, causing Ianto to skid around corners recklessly and crash into Gwen as they ran towards Jack's last known location.

"Make the next right," Tosh said to them from the SUV, her voice full of urgency. "Owen's right behind the two of you."

"I can't see a bloody thing," Gwen said savagely, pushing her soaked hair back from her face with her free hand. Her gun was clutched tightly in her other hand, up and ready in case they found anything in their way.

"Hurry! You're almost there," Tosh sounded frantic now, Jack's moans echoing in their ears even though those had stopped before any of them had a chance to start running towards him.

"Jack!" Ianto cried out as he skidded through a puddle to the figure lying face down on the wet cement. He fell to his knees and pressed shaking fingers to Jack's neck. "He's got a pulse. Owen!"

"Bloody hell," Owen said as he rounded the final corner, seeing the tableau in front of him. Gwen was turning in circles, her gun up as she looked for whomever had done this to Jack. Ianto was kneeling next to the man, frantically touching parts of his body. "Tosh! Get the SUV over here as fast as you can."

"Move," Owen ordered as he knelt down next to Jack. "Or at least make yourself useful and help me turn him over."

Ianto and Owen carefully turned the dead weight that was Jack so he was on his back now, rain falling on his face. Owen pried back an eyelid, swearing loudly at the sight of the blown pupil.

"It couldn't have just killed him," Owen muttered as he pressed his fingers to Jack's neck. "His pulse is weak but steady."

"What do we do?" asked Ianto as he watched Owen run his hands along Jack's body, feeling for broken bones.

"We have to get him back to the Hub," Owen said before meeting Ianto's gaze firmly. Ianto turned away, looking down at Jack instead. He couldn't handle what Owen was suggesting, not now. Not when they didn't know Jack's condition. "Tosh! Where are you?"

"Turning down the street now."

Gwen's gun dropped to her side as the SUV came hurtling down the street, coming to a skidding stop as Tosh turned the wheel sharply. She ran to the back of the SUV, flinging it open and throwing things into the backseat so they had room for Jack and Owen in the trunk. The Weevil cages had to stay where they were but with a little maneuvering, Owen and Ianto were able to get Jack into the SUV, Owen climbing in and straddling him as he continued to work.

"Drive, Tosh," Ianto said as he shut the trunk and dived into the backseat. "Fast."

"Real fast," Owen said as he knelt over Jack, sealing his mouth with his own and breathing air into his lungs.

Ianto trembled, leaning over the seat to help steady Owen as Tosh turned corners sharply and sped through Cardiff back to the Hub. He resolutely did not think about what was waiting for them when they got there.

* * *

Ianto moved through the autopsy bay quietly, straightening up as he went even though the bay was sparkling clean. He knew that he would eventually have to face facts and sit down next to the table again.

“Ianto,” Owen said with a sigh. “It’s clean. Everything is clean. Just sit. We have to make a decision.”

Ianto shot him a look before going to sit in the chair next to the autopsy table. He took Jack’s cold hand in his own, careful of the IV lines. “You’re sure he’s not going to wake up?”

“Traumatic brain injury. He’s a vegetable that can breathe, Ianto.”

Ianto sighed heavily and stroked a hand over Jack’s face lightly. “Alright then. I’ll go open the safe.”

“Tosh, Gwen!” Owen called out as he checked the monitors once more. “Conference room.”

Ianto kissed Jack softly on the lips. “I’m sorry about this.”

There was no response, but Ianto wasn’t expecting one. He let go of Jack’s hand and headed to his office, trying not to think beyond his immediate task.

“There are going to be times when you’ll have to kill me,” Jack said softly, late at night. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Ianto from behind, not letting the other man turn to look at him. “There’s a letter. I keep it in my safe.”

“I won’t do it,” Ianto said fiercely. “You can’t make me kill you.”

“If you kill me, I’ll come back. I’ll heal from whatever is wrong. You have to promise me that you will get the letter, Ianto. Promise me.”

“Why me?” Ianto’s voice broke slightly.

“You know the code to the safe. Owen knows about the letter, but I won’t let him in the safe. When he tells you it has to be done, get the letter.”

Ianto pushed at Jack’s arms until he rolled over, his expression stormy. “And if this had happened before any of us had known you couldn’t die?”

“I have a friend who was in UNIT. He would have come after the computer had automatically sent him an email,” Jack touched Ianto’s face, cupping his cheek. “Promise me.”

“You don’t ask for the easy things,” Ianto said angrily. “Fine. I promise I’ll open the safe and get the note that tells us how to kill you.”

Ianto’s hands trembled as he turned the dial on the safe. He’d done this once before, out of curiosity, just to see if the letter was really there. The envelope was yellow with age, but the words ‘In the event of Jack Harkness’s incapacitation but not death’ were clear as a bell.

The safe swung open and Ianto reached for the letter, taking it out and staring at it for a long time before he shut the safe again. He sat down heavily at Jack’s desk, holding the envelope in his hands.

“Is that it?” asked Owen from the doorway.

Ianto looked up at him, noting the dark circles under Owen’s eyes, the lines cut deep into his face. “It is. Are Tosh and Gwen in the conference room?”

“Just waiting for us and the letter,” Owen held out his hand. “Give it here. I’ll open it if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll do it,” Ianto said as he got up. “Should I make coffee?”

“We don’t need coffee right now.” Owen put a hand on Ianto’s shoulder briefly. “Let’s just go get this over with.”

“How about whiskey then?” Ianto suggested, going over to take a bottle of whiskey out of Jack’s desk. “I don’t think we need glasses.”

“Right,” Owen said, watching him walk out of the office. He followed Ianto over the crosswalk and to the conference room where he set the bottle of whiskey down on the table. “Apparently we’re going to be drinking while we read Jack’s attempt at a suicide note.”

“You’re not bloody funny, Owen,” Tosh said fiercely.

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood. He’s going to wake back up,” Owen protested as he slumped down in one of the chairs. “He always does.”

“This is different,” Gwen murmured. “We’re the ones killing him.”

“And so far only you’ve done that, Owen,” Ianto said as he twisted open the bottle of whiskey and took a long swallow.

“Hand it over,” Owen said, holding out his hand for the whiskey.

Ianto gave Owen the whiskey, holding the envelope in his hands instead. With trembling fingers, he tore it open.

“I guess I’ll read it then.” Ianto looked at the three of them before opening the letter. He unfolded the paper, his eyes flickering over the words, momentarily glad that he was used to reading Jack’s horrible handwriting.

Tosh reached over and squeezed Ianto’s wrist, sliding her hand down to tangle her fingers in his own. Ianto took her hand gratefully.

"His handwriting is bloody awful," Ianto said as he looked at the other three. "I can't believe he's making us do this."

"He's an arsehole," Owen agreed calmly. He handed the whiskey to Gwen who took a long drink as well. Tosh's hand trembled a little, but she drank the whiskey too, screwing up her face as it went down. "We're ready, Ianto."

Ianto took a deep breath, before shaking his head and putting the letter down. "Maybe I'm not ready."

"I'll do it if you want, Ianto," Gwen said gently. "There's no reason it has to be you."

"It's me because he made me promise," Ianto's voice was quiet and he squeezed tightly at Tosh's hand as he picked up the letter again. "Right then. Let's get on with this."

"Dear Alistair,

I suppose I should thank you for being willing to do this. There's not many people I could ask to kill me mostly because no one else would believe that I'll get up again. That's what you get for letting that giant jellyfish sting me. I still think you just wanted to get me out of my clothes. I've told you many times, all you have to do is ask.

But this isn't the time to reminisce. You're reading this because I'm in a non-responsive coma or some other situation where I cannot kill myself to heal myself. I've done that enough times to know a few things. One, I really don't like waking up from gunshot wounds to the head. Two, I don't like dying from suffocation. Three, I like to wake up in my own bed.

A drug overdose would be nice. Something that works quickly and puts me under so I don't feel it. And if you could hold my hand? It would be nice not to die alone for once.

Thanks for this. I owe you again,  
Captain Jack Harkness."

When Ianto finished, the room went silent except for the occasional inhalation of air from Gwen that no one would call a sob, not now. Tosh reached for the whiskey and proceeded to drain the bottle before setting it back on the table with a loud thunk.

"Who's Alistair?" asked Owen, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't know," Ianto said, folding the letter and sliding it back into the envelope. "Morphine should do it, yes?"

Owen nodded and got to his feet, squeezing Gwen's shoulder briefly. "I'll go take care of it. We can move him downstairs after he's dead."

"No," Ianto said roughly, standing up as well. "I'll do it. It should be me."

"Ianto - " Gwen stopped when Ianto held up a hand, shaking his head. She instead reached across the table for Tosh's hand, holding it tightly.

Owen walked ahead of Ianto, their footsteps echoing in the mostly silent hub. Even Myfanwy was quiet, hiding up in her cave. Down in the autopsy bay, the machines were the only sound until Owen starting opening drawers, pulling out vials of morphine.

"I don't know how much it will take to kill him. Start with a vial," Owen handed it to Ianto along with a syringe. "Put it directly into his IV. His breathing should be depressed rather quickly. If it's not happening right away, give him more."

Ianto nodded and sat back down next to Jack, setting the morphine on the bed next to him. "Thanks, Owen. I'll take care of it."

"Right." Owen turned and headed towards the steps. "We are doing the right thing."

"We're doing what he wanted," Ianto said, taking Jack's hand in his own. "It doesn't matter if it's the right thing or not."

"So you say."

Ianto didn't look up to verify that Owen was gone and no one else had wandered down to watch. He knew they would stay away, watch on the CCTV and give him a false sense of privacy for the moment. He reached up to touch Jack's face, brushing his fingertips over his cheek and then lips. With a sigh, Ianto dropped his head onto Jack's chest, listening to his heart beat under his ear.

"I told you when you first asked me that I didn't want to do this," Ianto said quietly, his voice rough. "What if this is the time you don't wake up and I have to live with the knowledge that I killed you? Did you ever think about that when you asked this of me? When you asked this of Alistair?"

Ianto lifted his head from Jack's chest, wiping his hand against his eyes briefly before he picked up the morphine and syringe. With experienced hands, he filled the syringe and pushed it directly into Jack's IV. He did this two more times before sitting back down and taking Jack's hand again.

"You're not alone this time." Ianto cradled Jack's hand between his own, pressing it against his cheek. He watched as Jack's chest rose and fell, slowing each time. "I'm here with you, Jack. I'm here."  



End file.
